Teacher, parents thank PSUSD board after medically fragile class is kept open

Teachers and community members used the public-comment period on April 14 to press the board on services for vulnerable students and staff.

"The medically fragile class is not simply another classroom, it is a lifeline," said Michelle Fiori, who identified herself as the medically fragile-class teacher at Katherine Finchy and told the board she received word at 2:00 p.m. that the class will remain open next year. She thanked district leaders and named administrators for reconsidering and said the specialized environment and trained staff are essential to students' safety and learning.

Community member Tabitha Davies, who identified herself as co-director of Esperanza Sanctuary and a parent of a PSUSD graduate, praised the decision to keep the program open but raised two concerns: she said a teacher in the district facing a life-threatening brain tumor did not receive sufficient district support (she cited a GoFundMe for medical treatment) and urged the board to consider staffing cuts that could harm core employees. She also asked what the district is doing to help immigrant families who face safety and food insecurity.

Karen Johnson, president of the Palm Springs Teachers Association, thanked district and association negotiators for their work on a tentative agreement and said the speed and collaboration in talks will help avoid retroactive pay issues and support open-enrollment planning for benefits.

Board officers did not debate or reverse the publicly stated decision; in response to a question about fees during the subsequent public hearing on school facility fees, the board said it would follow up with individual commenters where appropriate. No formal board action was taken tonight beyond the personnel appointment and the series of resolutions recorded later on the agenda.

The district and speakers emphasized that continuity and specialized staffing are critical to the medically fragile program's safety, and speakers invited board members to visit classrooms to observe the supports in place.